


waltz of the flowers

by etherealaline



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Christmas Fluff, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, First Kiss, Flowers, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:21:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21902911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/etherealaline/pseuds/etherealaline
Summary: maia and clary are the owners of the best and only flower shops in town and needless to say, they don't like each other very much. one year, however, circumstances drive them to unite forces to manage the holiday rush and this becomes a tradition that brings them just a little bit closer year after year...
Relationships: Clary Fray/Maia Roberts
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11
Collections: shadowhunters sapphic ficathon, shadowhunters sapphic library





	waltz of the flowers

**Author's Note:**

> filling the prompt "flowers" for week two of shadowhunters sapphic ficathon
> 
> all i want to say here is that the title had to be what it is because i was listening to pentatonix's version of waltz of the flowers while aggressively editing this and it kept me awake so thank you for your service pentatonix AND tchaikovsky i mean...... what a collab
> 
> also!! even though i edited this Aggressively don't mean there won't be mistakes so just beware and know they're all mine

_Two years ago_

The bell over the door chimes and Maia untangles herself from the glittery red ribbon she was in the middle of tying around a bouquet of roses, ready to happily greet another new customer. When she looks up and sees the owner of her rivaling flower shop standing in her shop covered in snow instead, her smile melts away immediately.

“Close the door, Fray,” she says coolly, heading back behind the counter. “You’re bringing in the snowstorm.”  
  
The redhead closes the door and shoulders off her jacket, hanging it over her sweater-clad arm. ”I know you don’t want to see me, but I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t really need to be,” Clary says, the demeaning tone of her voice only setting Maia more on edge.  
  
”Get to your point,” She tells her, once more entirely focused on what she was working on earlier. ”Assuming you have one.”  
  
”I need your help.”  
  
Before she can stop herself, Maia snorts. ”Not today, angel face,” She says with a shake of her head, not even looking up from the bouquet she’s now wrapping in red cellophane. "Not ever, in fact. If you're struggling that only means I get your customers."  
  
Clary rolls her eyes and takes a step closer to the counter and Maia. She leans down and places her elbows on the cold surface, locking eyes with her infamous rival of many years. "As if you're not one bouquet away from running out of that ribbon."  
  
Maia is all too ready to shake her head at her words until she goes to pull on the roll of ribbon and sure enough, is left with a single piece in one hand and an empty carton roll in the other. The redhead looks all too delighted and Maia is willing to do almost anything to wipe the smug look off of her face.

"I also see the empty vases out there that should be filled with white peonies and ruby red roses," she tilts her head to the side, sticking her lower lip out in a mocking pout. "I need your help because I'm also running out of essential supplies and nobody is going to be able to deliver them to me this close to Christmas."

"And you just magically ran out of things I still have a full stock of and vice versa?" Maia asks skeptically.  
  
Clary can only shrug her shoulders, fully aware of how ridiculous that is. "I don't have an explanation for it, I just know that I see your window full of poinsettias and I ran out yesterday."  
  
The look of utter disbelief on her face only gains strength at those words. "What kind of florist doesn't order enough poinsettias to last the entire Christmas season?"  
  
"Well, maybe the kind that sells more of actually meaningful flowers around this time," the redhead starts, leaning closer to Maia over the counter. "Every year around Christmas I get dozens of people coming into my shop looking for a way to tell their loved ones they want to forgive and forget all harm done over the past year and simply love. A lilly of the valley is perfect for that because it is known to symbolize a return of happiness, which is what the arrangements I place them in bring to people."  
  
It takes a moment too long for Maia to find her words out of sheer bewilderment, which to her endless annoyance makes Clary smile. "Touche," she clears her throat. "So what do you suggest?"  
  
"We work together. I call me you when I need something and vice versa."  
  
The proposal sounds simple enough, surely benefiting them both, but a small part of Maia still fears what buddying with her only competitor could do to her business. The shop is her pride and joy and willingly placing it under threat of sabotage by Clary Fray makes her skin crawl. "I'll agree but only on one term; our collaboration only extends through this week ahead of Christmas. Seven days. No more, no less." Clary nods and stands up straight, extending her hand. Maia can't help but scoff at the formality but shakes her hand nevertheless.

_Last year_

Maia is still at the other end of the street Clary's shop is located on when she can already hear the clamoring coming from inside.

After almost running the rest of the way to the shop she walks in through the door, which momentarily puts a stop to whatever had been happening earlier. The man she can only assume had been the source of the yelling turns to look at her and grimaces. "Great, both of the incompetent florists of the town are here. Hitting two birds with one stone."  
  
Maia's eyes widen in shock. "I'm sorry, what did you just say, sir?"  
  
It is only then that she looks over to Clary behind the cash register and notices how distraught she looks. Does she even want to know what this customer has to have said to make her so upset?  
  
"I just wanted to give my wife flowers for Christmas, but you can't get a decent bouquet of flowers anywhere these days, not to mention good customer service. Things were so different when your predecessors owned these boutiques," He continues roaring, completely unaware or just uncaring of the pain he's causing. "Looks like sometimes the apple does fall far from the tree."

Her heart sinks. She has to force herself to take a deep breath before speaking and when she does, it is through gritted teeth. "Please, leave."  
  
The man goes completely silent, turning his entire body towards Maia. "Are you asking a valuable paying customer to leave? That is low even from you."  
  
"You heard my friend," Clary chimes in then, coming from behind the counter to stand next to Maia. "She asked you to leave, and so am I. Get the hell out."

It takes the man a moment of incoherent cursing and huffing until he actually leaves, and when he does, Maia turns towards Clary, who is already profusely apologizing.

"No, no, stop," She hushes her and leads her to the back by her arm, sitting her down at the small table they've had lunch at the past three days. While Clary focuses on taking deep breaths, Maia goes to take the Santa shaped mugs out of the cupboard to make emergency hot chocolate in.

"All I've ever wanted is to feel like I'm making my mom proud and hearing someone say something like that-" Clary stops mid-sentence, the rest of the words all too painful to say out loud. Maia stops dissolving cocoa powder into almond milk just to go sit next to her, willing herself to forget that this girl is her biggest competition every other week of the year. Hesitantly, she places her hand on top of hers. "She may not be here to tell you, but she's proud of you. I promise."

Clary looks up at her, unshed tears clouding her vision. "You think so?"

Maia nods, making a mental note through the aching in her chest to call her mother as soon as she gets home.

"Thank you," she sniffles, grabbing her mug of hot chocolate and offering her a teary smile.

"Of course." In order to get back on their feet, they spend a good while drinking and talking about ideas for Christmas dinner centerpieces to put on display in both of their shop windows. That is at least until Maia is reminded of something Clary said earlier she can't not bring back up.

"So, friend, huh?" She asks, a certain gentleness involuntarily seeping into her voice.

"Mm," Clary bites her lip to contain her smile and taps her chin with her index finger, pretending to recall her using that word. "No, I don't think so."

"Oh, okay," she nods, endlessly amused.

"Maybe more like friends with holiday benefits?"

Maia scrunches up her nose in mock disgust and Clary has to tell herself she doesn't find that adorable at all. "You wish, Fray."

_Present-day_

"Thank you again," Clary yells out as she heads out of the door with her arms full of an assortment of flowers in vases on the morning of December 23rd, one of the busiest days of the year for their respective boutiques.

"No problem," Maia shouts back, unable to stop herself from smiling at how irritatingly endearing she looks, determined to get everything back to her shop without any help. She did offer to help her, but famously stubborn, Clary refused despite knowing there was a layer of ice hiding under the snow that had come down in heaps over the last week.

That is exactly why Maia stays in the doorway to ensure that she at least stays upright for the length of her street and that looks to be possible for about the three first steps she takes, but then things take a turn.

She watches Clary stumble a little as a woman runs past her with her very excited samoyed puppy and surges forward to grab her by the waist, stopping her from falling and breaking everything she's holding in her arms. She yelps and turns around so she's facing Maia, who can do nothing but grin.

"Careful there, angel face," she says and brushes a lock of red hair out of her face, her other hand still on her waist.

"I hate that nickname so much," Clary says, but it comes out more like something between a laugh and a breathless sigh.

It is then that something in the air between them visibly shifts. The gentle red tint across Clary's cheeks and the way she is looking at her from under her long, delicate lashes unexpectedly knocks all air out of Maia's lungs. All she can do is stare. She actually really does look like an angel.

"But it's true," She finds herself whispering, and before she can correct herself, Clary leans in to kiss her.

She also pulls back only a moment after their lips touch, abruptly walking past Maia and back inside the shop as if nothing happened. A little worried and incredibly confused, Maia follows her only to find her placing the vases of flowers onto the cash register counter where she had just picked them up from moments ago.

The moment is so bizarre that Maia can't find anything until Clary turns around and walks so close to Maia that there is barely any space between their bodies. "I couldn't do this properly with all of that in my hands," she whispers and wraps her arms around Maia's neck, her lips stretching into a smile.

"And the mistletoe is here too, actually," Maia says and points up, her eyes sparkling in delight.  
  
"All I've ever wanted," Clary jokingly breathes out a dreamy sigh and places her hand behind Maia's head to pull her closer, closing the distance between their lips, now for far longer than a split second.


End file.
